The invention relates to induction heating.
Modern microelectronic circuit process technologies incorporate device structures having high sensitivities to thermal treatment. The high sensitivities are due to the precise definition of device regions. These regions may include ultra-thin ion implanted source and drain regions in a submicron complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor circuit (CMOS FET), among others. However, material and process related temperature limitations prohibit the integration or incorporation of a wide range of possible device structures in the fabrication process. Applications such as high temperature treatment of embedded high voltage, high current, or high power microelectronic devices often require complete thermal isolation of process modules. An example of such a system is an embedded processor that is responsible for driving motors. The system might include drivers for driving the motors, and a plurality of high density logic circuits for controlling the operation of the motor. Both the drivers and the logic circuits typically have different thermal capacities and, therefore, complicated processes are required to embed the drivers and the logic circuits in a single system.
The incorporation of devices into mainstream processing also presents thermal challenges for integration of the technologies. Device examples include micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), micromachines and microsystem. Various thin film structures for the devices may also require thermal treatment to stabilize the mechanical properties for use. However, microelectronic process typically requires lower temperature throughout its processing. The relatively high thermal energy generated in the thermal treatment of the MEMS tends to impact the CMOS processing of the system. Similarly, embedding elements, like radio-frequency components into high density CMOS, require different thermal treatments and, thus, require complicated processes to embed them together.
Furthermore, many device packaging applications require protection or packaging, often prior to final encapsulation or before being singulated, in order for the devices to function. Pressure sensors, accelerometers, optoelectronic device assemblies, and some microelectronics technologies require packaging or assembly that utilize temperatures above 300-400° C. that could damage microelectronic circuitry.